Movie #44 - Children of Men

"No children. No future. No hope."

One of the best films that I saw from the 2006 class, this one is great from start to finish. Not only is the film well shot and well written, but the cast is wonderful.

The concept - no woman on Earth can have children anymore - or in other words, the human race is becoming extinct. There are some great scenes in this film (which I won't spoil for those who haven't watched it yet) and there are some strong commentaries on how our current society could potentially erode to what you see on screen here in just a few years.

Currently, the Earth is on a crash course to something like this - mainly caused by us. We are ravishing this world of our natural resources, our unique species, and our clean air and water supplies that eventually, a worldwide epidemic such as infertility could pose a major threat. Although quite extreme on the whole, this movie provides perspective of what would happen if the world was going to end - very slowly.

There are some heart-wrenching scenes here such as the battle scenes with the refugees / rebels and the deaths of some key characters throughout the film. The screenplay is adapted by Timothy Sexson and Alfonso Cuaron, both who were nominated for Oscars. The film was nominated for a Cinematography Oscar as well, but the film was shunned in 2006. I would've thought Clive Owen deserved acknowledgement for his role in this film, but I guess there were just some better performances out there in 2006 - I beg to differ.

Just on sheer concept alone, this movie is great. Once you commit yourself emotionally, you'll enjoy it even more because its dark, its dire, and it really hits you on the personal level. Especially if you are a parent or aspiring to be one - you'll know why. In the end, the movie provides a glimpse of a possible future if any of the pandemics imposing on society ever catch hold on the human race. I just hope that we can move away from this direction and save ourselves in the long run.